Samsung Galaxy S8 to bring auto-focus for front camera: Report

Samsung Galaxy S8 is expected to get an auto-focus feature for the front camera, a first for the company

Samsung Galaxy S8 is expected to be the first device running on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 chipset (Image of Galaxy S7 for representation)

Bleeding from the Galaxy Note 7 disaster, Samsung is going full out with its upcoming Galaxy S8 flagship. The latest rumour says the 2017 flagship will feature a selfie camera with auto-focus. Even while smartphone manufacturers like Sony (with its Xperia XA) and HTC (Desire Eye) have auto-focus in their front camera, Samsung has up until now not added the feature in its devices. The company has instead relied on fixed focus type front cameras, considering they are smaller and cheaper to make.

A latest report from a TheAndroidSoul suggests that Samsung will be introducing an ‘encoder-type AF actuator’ for the front camera on the Galaxy S8, which will allow the camera to find the optimal focal point depending on where a subject is located.

There have been a lot of rumours around Samsung’s next big phone, with the latest ones suggesting that the Galaxy S8 will be coming with 6GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The phone is expected to be the first device running on Qualcomm’s recently announced Snapdragon 835 SoC (in US), or running on the company’s own, Exynos 9 Series SoC. Leaks have also hinted at a pressure sensitive display like the 3D touch on the iPhone.

Reports from Weibo claim the Galaxy S8 will be featuring a curved 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display; with the larger 5.5-inch model sporting a 4K display. A report from TheInvestor points at a possible third Galaxy S8 model – a 6.2-inch phone with a bezel-less design.

Samsung Galaxy S8 will be coming with a digital assistant developed by Viv Labs, a company that was acquired by the South Korean giant this year. A recent report says the male voiced AI will be called ‘Kestra’, while the female assistant will be called ‘Bixby’. The phone is expected to launch in February 2017.